The golden rules for buying Italian property

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It looks as if I might finally be on the verge of buying a house in Italy after all. Me and my Italian wife first saw the property in the summer of 2013. Nothing fancy: a solid post-war farmhouse plus barn and outbuildings near Ravenna, last capital of the Roman Empire, on a couple of acres of land, inside a nature reserve which is like the Norfolk Broads with flamingos, one mile from the sea.

Now, at long last, we are due to do the Italian equivalent of exchanging contracts, but my God what a struggle it has been. We've spent 15 months trying to complete the purchase since our offer was accepted, as I explained in my previous article for these pages, 'The Italian state gave our property dream the kiss of death'.

The main problem – as is probably the case with any farmhouse in Italy – is that the farmhouse we want to buy is abusivo (without planning permission). Not all of it – just the barn. But this meant a long delay and a lot of red tape before we could complete the purchase.

It's all been a bit messy and irritating but so unfortunately is Italy. Anyone buying Italian property should adhere to certain golden rules:

1) You have to be patient otherwise you will go insane. Italy’s bureaucracy and courts are Byzantine. But try at all costs to avoid losing your temper because Italians once offended are hard to deal with. And try to avoid suing anybody. It’s a waste of time. The average time the courts take to resolve a civil action in Italy is 2,000 days – seven years – according to figures just out.

2) Assume that at least part of the farmhouse you want to buy is without planning permission and that until this is sorted out you will not be able to buy it because the notaio (government approved conveyancing lawyer) will not be able to approve the sale.

3) Check that there are no outstanding mortgages or debts linked to the property. These are passed on to the purchaser.

4) Be aware that before buying outright a property in Italy it is necessary first to do a compromesso (pay a deposit) of between 10-20 per cent of the sale price. If the buyer then pulls out of the deal before the date of the specified sale proper, he loses his deposit; if the vendor pulls out, he has to pay the buyer the deposit times two.

5) Note that Italian estate agencies will rarely publish on the web or in property magazines decent photos of any house for sale for fear of identifying it too clearly and therefore running the risk of losing their commission. Also, they will – for the same reason – insist on accompanying you to the property and not allow you to see it from the outside on your own. This is very irritating and immensely time-consuming.

6) Italian estate agencies charge both buyers and vendors a commission – as high as 2.5 per cent to each side – which is outrageous. It is therefore much better to avoid Italian estate agents altogether if you can, but to do that requires local knowledge in the area where you wish to buy.

7) Many rural properties “for sale” are not really for sale at all but being floated to test the market. Many others are owned by up to 10 brothers and sisters – nine of whom are determined to sell but one of whom is determined not to sell. It is all too easy to waste precious time before you realise this.

8) If you are buying land as well as a house be aware that the neighbours have the right to buy the land first if it comes on the market ahead of you. So before you buy it they have to say in writing that they don’t want to buy it.

9) As regards building work estimates, get them all in writing and written in detail. This will be a nightmare as Italians avoid at all costs putting anything in writing.

10) Above all, get a decent geometra (surveyor) to manage the purchase of the house and the work to be done on it who knows the local area, the local bureaucrats and the local builders. The geometrawill cost money (we’ve paid ours €1,000 so far and the house is still not ours!) but it will be money well spent. As a British citizen there is not a cat in hell’s chance that you can deal with buying and restoring an Italian property on your own.

In life, sometimes you have to delegate to other people and trust them – even if you have nothing in writing from them.